THERE is no shortage of reasons to visit Kirkby Lonsdale, that gorgeous little market town in the south east corner of Cumbria.
Nestled on the bank of the River Lune, it’s famous for Ruskin's View, Devil's Bridge, its array of independent shops and cafes and not to mention its wonderfully picturesque and wanderable winding streets.
But there is one reason I find myself travelling an hour from Carlisle on a regular basis – no, not to visit my nearby family but to honour what I consider to be the best butchers shop in, well, anywhere.
I'll qualify that by saying I haven't patronised every butcher in Carlisle, let alone Cumbria, but the list of national awards that Dales Traditional Butcher on Market Street in Kirkby Lonsdale has scooped tells me I, and many others, are onto something.
Dales Butcher, ran by popular local figure and master butcher Mark Duckworth for over a quarter of a century now, isn't just a butchers – it is an institution worthy of a pilgrimage.
Mark's meat is top class, all locally sourced and dry-aged. His sausages are legendary, the pork and caramel sausage even won the UK Champion of Champions sausage in 2023.
Dales was the first English butcher ever to win the prestigious Golden Haggis award, in Oban, beating all Caledonian opponents, and even managed to bring it back over the border two years in a row – another first.
Named Best Butcher in the north of England at the 2025 Countryside Alliance Awards, Britain’s Best Butcher’s Shop at the Meat Industry Awards 2021, the list goes on and on.
So last week I did make a meat-based pilgrimage to Kirkby Lonsdale to try a few delicacies from Mark's vast array of products on display in town centre shop.
After a quick carnivorous consultation with Mark at the busy counter, I had compiled a bag of goodies for an evening of delectation.
Gluttonous I may be, but I am human, so I enlisted the help of my mother and six-year-old son for analysis.
Firstly, the haggis – I adore haggis generally but hadn't tried Mark’s, which he seemed understandably proud of.
At the risk of upsetting some haggis militants, I turned my acquired chunk into slices, and pan-fried them in butter, and the result was mouthwatering.
The haggis was rich yet light, crumbly in texture but deliciously moist, the offally goodness mingling with a real spicy, peppery kick – this was the real deal.
Lots of people may be squeamish about haggis but as the basis for a warming, tasty and relatively cheap winter dish, it is simply unrivalled. And this is comfortably my favourite haggis ever, and it’s not just me saying it – ask the Scots.
As we look for some cheer in the post-Christmas blues, why not make your Burns Night supper in January the best around, but I've a feeling you may have to be quick.
Onto the sausages. I already knew Dales sausages were special - proper sausages that don’t shrivel when cooked, the Cumberland versions being a personal go-to at any barbecue worth hosting.
I went for the pork and caramel this time (obviously) which Mark revealed were made using not only his award-winning local pork but the sauce from Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding.
The result is pure genius, balance and verve. The sweetness comes through and adds a dollop of decadence to the pork, which remains the star of the show.
Dales may be a traditional butcher’s shop in name but innovation is one of the reasons it stands so far out and this shines through in the variation of sausages on offer, both traditional and slightly playful.
Speaking of which, I had to try the festive sausage - a maelstrom of pork, venison, cranberries, orange and Christmas spices.
Again – fabulous, not one I’d personally have with sausages and mash, as all of the flavours really do jump out, but a delightful addition to a festive banquet.
Next came the festive pie which Mark brought back this year – a mini Christmas dinner in a pie, topped with stuffing (need I say more?).
Mark’s meaty genius shone through again with a year-round favourite, the game pie, absolutely packed with flavour as well as venison, pigeon, pheasant, and more, encased in a light, delicate, moreish pastry.
You can’t go to Dales without trying the best-selling pie, the traditional pork pie – simply the best around. Not a hint of the grey, bland, tasteless supermarket versions here, juicy, dense, and quite addictive. The Rolls-Royce of pork pies.
Rounding off the pies (savoury anyway) was the famous Scotch Pie, with its thinner, crispier pastry, filled with minced mutton, once again a real treat, and expertly crafted.
A fairly recent addition the Dales offering, and one which Mark said is booming in popularity, so much so that production has moved to an additional unit around 50 metres away, are the array of ready meals, made by Mark’s wife Fiona.
Curries, lasagne, casseroles, you name it. Sadly, I could only try one, so I went for the Chicken Korma, a favourite of the staunchest critic around - my son.
Six and absurdly picky, I expected a Simon Cowell-esque review with brutal honesty.
Serving it up to my mini Jay Rayner with plain white rice, I was pleased I had the foresight to retain a small amount in the tray as the whole steaming mound was gone in around two minutes.
When quizzed, he gave a resounding ‘nine out of ten’, though further pressing couldn’t extract a reason for the dropped point.
Not forgetting the sweet, I bought a pack of home-made mince pies, because, well why not? The pastry used with Dales pies seems to vary from pie to pie, as if as much thought has gone into the pastry as its contents.
These were fabulous pockets of light, flaky pastry filled with a zingy, sweet, spicy mincemeat.
Believe it or not, I did try to find something to criticise but apart from my mother leaving the festive pie in the oven for slightly too long, there wasn't one.
The running theme is quite simple with Dales Traditional Butcher – excellence.
From the way Mark talks about his products, where it is sourced, how it is aged, how it is presented, his passion shines through.
It’s obvious that Dales is at the centre of Kirkby Lonsdale’s tight-knit community with an always-friendly welcome to locals and visitors alike.
Dales opens Tuesday to Saturday from 6am, and offers a delivery service locally, with courier delivery UK-wide, with a great online shop, so the pilgrimage isn’t strictly necessary but a visit to this charming town is always worth the effort.
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